[JoBeth66]

Anya and Danny - sigh. I hate that they're in the bottom 3, but I don't think they're going anywhere. They're both too good.

Jaimie and Hok - no surprises there. We knew this was gonna happen.

Lauren & Neil - everyone knew there was no way Lacey was in the bottom 3. Kameron's only safe because she's with him, IMO.

I hate that she sings the songs she's dancing to, as well. She just can't seem to ONLY *dance*.

I think it's going to be Anya & Hok out this week.
---------------
Edit:

Solos:

Anya - wow. That was the BEST solo I've seen out of her. And she actually looked comfortable doing it. I really liked it.

Danny - Wasn't as good as it should've been. Not even close.

Jaimie - She's gorgeous, and I just can't see her going.

Hok - WOW did he have energy! I don't know if it's enough to save him, because he doesn't have the range he should, but he looked like he wanted it.

Lauren - Really highlighted that she doesn't have the talent of the other 2 girls. I think this is it for her.

Neil - Absolutely fantastic. He won't be going anywhere.

I'm going to revise my prediction of Anya & Hok to Lauren & Hok. Anya deserves to stay. Lauren, while she danced her heart out, just doesn't have the technique.

I don't think Hok will stay, but I think Danny's going to get a very stern talking to.
-------------------

Wow. Anya is out. That's a shock to me. Mary obviously wanted to keep her. I'm shocked that Lauren is in. No surprise on Hok. I am surprised that there was no conversation with Danny or Neil.

Next week's going to be good.

 

[stargazer21]

First business...kudos to Mia and Wade for their Emmy nominations! :up: (Anyone want to guess what they were for? I picked 'em as soon as Nigel said something. )

Well, I have to say I'm disappointed that Dom/Sabre were safe. Bless Dom's heart, I do think he gives 110% and is fun to watch. But he struggles. Before they even revealed that he has issues with lifts, I had mentioned to a friend that I cringe everytime he lifts her. It just seemed wrong that he was sitting safe, while Danny, Hoc, and Neil were dancing for their lives. I would love to see Sabre dance with a different partner, as I'm afraid he makes her hesitant and careful.

But sigh...so it goes...

Anya's solo- Sure wish she had danced like that earlier! I was hoping that she had finally learned how to do a solo. Amazing!

Danny- Not his best, but still beautiful. He came out of his pirouettes badly, which sucks because I know he can nail them. He seemed prepared to be sent home. I know he's not Mr Popularity, but I've been rooting for him. His dancing always gives me goosebumps.

Jamie- She just doesn't do it for me. I forget she's on the show. I couldn't tell you what she did in her solo, and I just rewatched it. I enjoy some of her stuff when I watch it, but it's gone by the time the next dancer comes on. This is likely why I'm not a huge fan of the Hummingbird number (and that's one of those dances that is usually right up my alley!) but I figured she was safe so they could do that number during the tour.

Hoc- I'm not a breaking fan, thus I was not a Hoc fan. But he grew on me. His solo was fantastic, but below what he's capable of. And although he's had some struggles with other styles, I also thought they would keep him for Hummingbird for the tour.

Lauren- I haven't liked any of her solos, including this one. Like you, Jobeth, I thought this was it for her.

Neil- WOW! His best solo to date...and they've been good. It seems that he's relaxing with the partner numbers. Can't wait to see him with a different partner. I think he's really growing as a dancer, and that what this is all about.

I was kinda shocked at Anya and Hoc leaving. Anya, because I thought her solo would save her. She's held her own against the very flashy Danny as a partner and has continued to look great. (Can you imagine Lauren trying to just stay visible dancing with him?) And poor Hoc. Yeah, he's had a lot of work to do, but it's just wrong that he's gone and Kameron is in the top 10 (Kameron has been a major disappointment to me).

Next week is gonna be good though!

 

[lodica1967]

I have decided to shift my hatred of Danny to Lauren for a while. She bugs me and Anya's solo was so much better than Laurens.

Isn't Lauren the girl that was one of the assistants to the choreographers last year? I cry foul!

Poor Hok but who else could have gone? Danny and Neil are both very good dancers.

Next week should be tough. Kameron will have to stand on his own without Lacey.

 

[That Don Guy]

First business...kudos to Mia and Wade for their Emmy nominations! :up: (Anyone want to guess what they were for? I picked 'em as soon as Nigel said something. )

Mia's is for "Calling You"; Wade's is for "Ramalama (Bang Bang)"

(It helps to have the list of nominations...)

-- Don

 

[debtoine]

I am surprised that there was no conversation with Danny or Neil.

I think that's because the judges were late coming back from their decision. It took several extra seconds to get them situated, so maybe they just decided they'd have to cut to the chase with results for one of the 2 groups, and they decided to do it with the guys.

I'm actually kinda glad Anya is gone. She may be good at ballroom, but that's about all she's really good at.

deb

 

[murgatroyd]

I think deb is right about the timing issue. They did the same thing (that is, skipping the notes for one of the groups) the week they had to squeeze in Jessi's solo because of her medical mishap.

FWIW, here's Anya's dance list:

Week 1: Jive, with Tony Meredith (remember, she's a Latin dancer)
Week 2: Viennese Waltz with Hunter Johnson
Week 3: Hip Hop with Dan Karaty
Week 4: Contemporary with Tyce
Week 5: Foxtrot (didn't write it down, was it Jean-Marc this week?)

I do realize that there is a huge difference between Latin and Standard, and some people are really outstanding at one and not the other, but puhleeze, giving a ballroom dancer three ballroom routines in five weeks? I hardly think she has been asked to stretch as much as some of the other girls.

Isn't Lauren the girl that was one of the assistants to the choreographers last year? I cry foul!

The choreographer in question was Tyce DiOrio. I believe you are right, it was Lauren. Good catch!

Jan

 

[murgatroyd]

I'm stealing a quote from the opening of the performance show thread:

Jaimie & Hok - ok, but it didn't grab me. ... I didn't like the choreography, which doesn't help my opinion - Jaimie does seem to make it look effortless - but Hok was given crap to work with, and I felt like HE wasn't feeling it, either, which made it that much worse.

Quoting only the point about the choreography, because I rewatched the routine today and it's been bugging me all day.

This is supposedly the version of "Mr. Bojangles" from the show Fosse. According to Wikipedia, the Fosse show the song was originally done in was Dancinig. Also according to Wikipedia, the song is not about Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, but another dancer named Bojangles from whom Bill Robinson picked up the nickname. In any case, both were tap dancers.

Now, in light of what they said when the guest (tap) dancer performed tonight, that they would never be able to do tap on the show because it takes too long to bring non-tappers up to speed in tap, doesn't the choice of this song for Hok to do seem a little strange?

Not one of the choreographers said anything about whether the routine was particularly Fosse-like, or addressed the issue of whether it was or wasn't supposed to be. (Note that Mandy Moore, on the other hand, was given props for working in Fosse-like moves.)

Broadway dance stuff is not my idiom, so I am not at all versed in Fosse's work. I know there are particular things that Fosse did which were very distinctive in their day (like Wade Robson's work, it sticks out a mile for those in the know) but I do not know what those distinguishing features are.

Why would you use a song about a tap dancer at all, especially when you know you're not going to be able to do anything tap-like with it?

I just don't get what Tyce thought he was doing with that number.

Jan

 

[Cearbhaill]

I was shocked that they let Hok go. I fully understand their reasoning, but thought for sure that they would keep him for the tour. So now my cynical self wants to assume that he wasn't interested in touring for a year...

Anya could have stayed another week so Lauren could be let go- she bugs me terribly. And with Lauren out we could have let Neil go with her- he's so whitebread he wouldn't have been missed at all on the tour IMO.

Bah. Bad night for me.

 

[murgatroyd]

I'm not in a hurry to go get tickets now, that's for sure.

They did what they had to do. <shrug>

I'm kinda glad. I remember what happened to Bolero after the Olympics. Poor Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean had to perform it ... and perform it ... and perform it ... until you were ready to say, enough with Bolero, already, let them skate something else. Kind of spoiled the magic.

Now the hummingbird and the flower are tucked away safely in the pages of time, their magical dream unspoiled by 50 cities' worth of repetition.

Jan

 

[jehma]

Mia's is for "Calling You"; Wade's is for "Ramalama (Bang Bang)"

(It helps to have the list of nominations...)

-- Don

The zombie routine is my favorite of all the seasons.

 

[Bill Reeves]

I'm not in a hurry to go get tickets now, that's for sure.

My wife had the same impression -- Hok would have sold tickets for the tour. Who's going to go buy tickets specifically to see Neil or Danny? Hok is unique enough that people would have bought tickets specifically to see him -- I'm not sure you can say that about any of the other dancers. Oh well, their loss.

 

[Animgif]

My wife had the same impression -- Hok would have sold tickets for the tour. Who's going to go buy tickets specifically to see Neil or Danny? Hok is unique enough that people would have bought tickets specifically to see him -- I'm not sure you can say that about any of the other dancers. Oh well, their loss.

I'd buy tix for Neil or Danny or both...oh, you mean to see him on stage dancing with the cast? Eh...you're right about that; Hok is the only reason I would have gone to the show.

 

[DancnDude]

Anya's solo reminded me of Heidi's last year. It was really entertaining! I was disappointed that they didn't keep her around this week just because of the amazing solo -- she really did dance for her life.

 

[mwhip]

Not too surprised all my favorite dancers are still in it. Still shocked they only pick one winner they should pick one girl and one guy. At this point I want either Sara or Dominik to win the whole thing.

After this week is that when they start doing solo work more?

 

[DancnDude]

Not too surprised all my favorite dancers are still in it. Still shocked they only pick one winner they should pick one girl and one guy. At this point I want either Sara or Dominik to win the whole thing.

After this week is that when they start doing solo work more?

In addition to picking a style out of a hat, they will also pick a partner out of a hat. I also think each person ends up with a phone number to call at the end instead of each couple.

 

[JoBeth66]

What is the grand prize this year, anyway? I don't think they've said (or at least, if they did, I was fast-forwarding through the jabber. )

 

[firerose818]

What is the grand prize this year, anyway? I don't think they've said (or at least, if they did, I was fast-forwarding through the jabber. )

$250k and a car, IIRC.

 

[jehma]

$250k and a car, IIRC.

Interesting. Maybe after Benji didn't work with Mia last year they decided to not give out a dance job prize.

 

[Jebberwocky!]

Hok may have sold tickets but he is limited in what dances he can do well - I had him as the obvious choice to leave.

I also picked Anya leaving although this was a much closer race than the guys. Not a negative on Anya but I just like the other two more.

as expected, the choices get tougher each week.

 

[zalusky]

Interesting. Maybe after Benji didn't work with Mia last year they decided to not give out a dance job prize.

Whats the scoop on that? I also heard Nick chose not to go to NYC the first year as well.

I wonder how many of these reality prizes pan out. Like the guy on Hells Kitchen the first year turned down going to study with Goron Ramsey and sold knives instead. I am not sure how his second year winner turned out.